Mentioned at 16:45 on BBC 24. Personally I like independents, as being on message is boring. That includes George Galloway. Can anyone tell me what's interesting about David Cameron? Peut-etre I just can't see it!

CS is the step mother of a woman I was at university with. Thrilling eh?

There is something to be said for independent, or even independent minded MPs, but the former have tended to be single issue figures - the Kidderminster hospital chap, Martin Bell etc. However, up until 1950 the universities used to return MPs, and Oxford U was blessed with a truly splendid MP in A.P Herbert (qv)

I may well return to the topic of university MPs, as it is worthy of exploration.

Irrelevantly, I'm rather disappointed with the FT. S&P have just downgraded Italy. According to the FT, la Une & inside, its total budget is £23bn. That'll just about pay for the Educazione. In reality, it's more like £4-500 bn. Woulda thought somebody at the FT woulda known that 23 bill won't get you much in 2006.

Back in early 80s, it was estimated that if all taxes levied by the Italian state were collected, it would have amounted to 110% of GNP, and that there were 43 different taxes on a cup of coffee bought in a bar. Still, I am much taken with Italy and the Italians - especially Neapolitans - a splendid group of people.